Aerial torpedo.



S. S. VAN KEUREN.

AERIAL TORPEDO.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I2. 1916.

Patented July 18, 1916.

1,191,37&.

g-nueuloz 27 SI 5- SVANKEURfEN SYLVANUS S. VAN REUBEN, OF ABERDEEN,SOUTH DAKOTA.-

AERIAL TORPEDO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 18, 1916.

Application filed February 12,1916. Serial No. 78,049.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SYLvANUs S. VAN

KEUREN, a citizen of the United'States, re- 4 that the end of the topedohaving the firing pin therein will strike first.

A further object ofmy invention is the provision of a torpedo includinga chamber containing a bursting charge and an outer chamber surroundingthe. inner chamber and adapted to contain bullets or other pro:

jectiles, and also adapted to be filled with inflammable fluid, thefluid filling the interstices between the projectiles in the chamber.

Still another object of my invention is to provide means for preventingthe accidental projection of the firing pin against the charge ignitingcap or fulininate.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is an elevation of a torpedo constructed in accordance with myinvention; Fig. 2 is a like view to Fig. 1, but partially in section;Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4: is afragmentary sectional view of the lower end of the torpedo, the firingplug and the safety cap.

Referring to these figures, 1O designates a cylindrical body, this bodybeing hollowto provide an inner chamber 11 for containing a burstingcharge of any suitable explosive. The body of the torpedo is conical atits lower end and the chamber 11 is also conical at its lower end.Surrounding the chamber 11 is an annular chamber 12 which opens at itsupper end upon the inside face of a screw threaded tapering bore 13 inwhich a breech plug 14 is adapted to be screwed or otherwise fastened.The chamber 12 is also formed with branch inlets 15 'seat 24 for a capor other detonator.

normally closed by plugs 16 and by which inflammable liquid such as hightest gasolene or bisulfid of carbon may be filled into the chamber. 12.

The breech plug 14 is tapering in form to fit the bore 13, and on itsperiphery is formed with relatively deep screw threads engaging thescrew threads on the bore 13. Extending from thebreech plug and hav-'ing screw threaded engagement therewith is a post 17 terminating at itsupper end in an eye 18. Mounted upon-the post in any suitable manner arethe spiral blades 19.

I have illustrated four of these blades and each blade as having aquarter turn.- The rear ends of two of these blades are considerablybroadened while the forward endsof the other blades are relativelybroad.

The blades are held'in place on the post or member 17 by means of bands20, the blades being disposed in slots in the post and the bands holdingthe'blades in lace.

The lower or tapering en of the torpedo is formed with the bore 21 whichis screw threaded for engagement with a tapering firing plug 22. Thisplug is hollow and at entering the hollow interior of the. plug. Inwardof this orifice there is provided a .The outer or larger end of the plugis formed with a circular head 25 screw threaded for engagement by asafety cap 26. Disposed within the hollow interior of the plug andlongitudinallv movable therein is a firing pin 27. This pin is slottedand a guide pin 28 extends through the slot and permits longitudinalmovement of the firing pin while preventing it from falling out of thetorpedo. The end of the firing pin is formed with a head 30 and a spring31 urges the firing pin outward and away from the detonator supported onthe seat 24. A safety key 32 is adapted to be inserted between'the head30 and the head 25 and when it is in position is of course inclosedwithin the cap 26. When the .cap 26 is removed, how ever, this key maybe withdrawn, whereupon the torpedo will be in condition for use.

As before stated, the chamber 11 is inits inner end is formed with anorifice 23 Y tended to be filled with a bursting charge" ignited by theengagement of the firinglpin with the' cap or detonator. The chamber 12is'intended to be filled with bullets, scrap iron or other, projectiles,these projectiles being filled into the chamber 12 through the openingswhich terminate on the bore 13, and after the projectiles are in placethe interstices between the projectiles are to be flight as does a riflebullet and by so doing it will-be prevented from any rotatory move-'ment around a shorter axis and will be projected point foremost. v

The mechanism for projecting or dropping the torpedo forms thesubject-matter of a separate application executed of even date herewith.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a torpedo of the character described, a body having a firing plugformed with a longitudinal bore, a seat for a detonator and an exteriorhead, a firing pin longitudinally movable in the plug and having a atapering firing plug having head, a spring between the head of thefiring pin and the head of the plug, a safety key disposed between thehead of the plug and thehead of the firing pin and a detachable capinclosing the head of the firing pin and the key.

2. In an aerial torpedo of the character described, a body havmg arelatively heavy nose, the nose being longitudinally bored and the borebeing screw threaded and tapering, screw threaded engagement with thebore of the nose and also formed with a longitudinal bore and with aseat for a detonator and with an exteriorly screw threaded head, a

spring resisting the inward movement of the firing pin, the inner faceof the head of the firing pin and the outer face of the head of v theplug having transversely extending registering grooves, and a safety keyremovably disposed in said grooves and holding the firing pin frominward movement.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature-in the presence oftwo witnesses.

S'YLVANUS S. VAN KEUREN. Witnesses:

C. G. ANDERSON, J. C. MGINTYRE.

